UL Biotechnical Faculty establishes two centres for science and sustainable development

With the establishment of these two units, the Faculty strengthens its position as a leading research and educational institution in the life sciences, bioeconomy and environmental protection. The initiative responds to the growing need for a comprehensive, systems-based approach to developing sustainable solutions, while reaffirming the Faculty’s commitment to responsible science, collaboration and sustainable development. The new units will serve as spaces where ideas grow into collaborative projects – where knowledge moves beyond laboratories and becomes actively engaged with society.

Coordinator: Prof. Dr Damjana Drobne

The OHE Centre is grounded in the globally recognised One Health concept, which highlights the deep interconnections among human, animal and environmental health. In an era marked by climate change, growing pollution and increasing microbial resistance to medicines, such an interdisciplinary approach is essential. While environmental health is often the overlooked component in this triad, it is precisely the quality of our soil, water and air that directly influences both human and animal well-being.

Through this Centre, the UL Biotechnical Faculty is directing its scientific, educational and developmental potential towards supporting the green transition, shaping sustainable policies and forging strong ties with stakeholders in practice. The Centre will also foster strategic collaboration among research groups, enable systematic pursuit of funding opportunities, facilitate knowledge transfer to real-world applications, and enhance the visibility of researchers.

The key thematic areas of activity include:

• healthy food and food chains,
• soil, water and food microbiomes,
• ecosystem and groundwater health,
• anthropogenic stress and pollution,
• climate change and education for sustainability and health.

The purpose of the One Health – Environment Centre is to actively engage other University of Ljubljana member faculties in substantive cooperation. The member faculties have been informed of the initiative and will connect with the Centre when relevant topics arise.

To date, collaboration with other faculties has inspired the vision for the Centre to evolve into a cross-faculty networking structure. This future model would encompass not only environmental content, but also human and animal health, as well as sociology, the humanities and education – fully aligned with the interdisciplinary One Health concept. Current partnerships already include the UL Faculty of Health Sciences, UL Veterinary Faculty, UL Faculty of Medicine, UL Faculty of Social Sciences, and the UL Faculty of Education. We are successfully working with these faculties on various projects. The Biotechnical Faculty is the first to establish a dedicated unit focused on One Health, with a distinct emphasis on environmental health.

Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr Luka Juvančič

Bioeconomy is one of the European Union’s key development frameworks, combining the use of renewable biological resources for the production of food, materials, energy and services. The circular bioeconomy takes this a step further by focusing on closing material flows, reducing waste, protecting ecosystems and strengthening local self-sufficiency. In this sense, it is not only an environmental imperative, but also a strategic opportunity to merge sustainability with innovation and economic resilience.

As an open platform, the CCB BF brings together researchers from a broad range of disciplines, including agronomy, forestry, nutrition, biotechnology, economics and engineering.

Its key tasks include:

• promoting interdisciplinary research,
• supporting researchers in preparing RDI projects,
• transferring academic knowledge into practice,
• networking with stakeholders (businesses, NGOs, local communities),
• strategically engaging in national and European initiatives (e.g., Horizon Europe, EU Missions, SRIP, EBU).

The CCB BF draws inspiration from leading European institutions such as Wageningen University, the BoKu Centre for Bioeconomy in Vienna, and the University of Hohenheim, while also contributing to the international visibility of the Biotechnical Faculty.